


Rendezvous Cat-astrophe

by LightningNymph



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Female My Unit | Byleth, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-08
Updated: 2019-11-08
Packaged: 2021-01-25 18:17:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21360607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LightningNymph/pseuds/LightningNymph
Summary: Lorenz was far easier, motivated mostly by prestige and, arguably, more ambition than was good for him. It was easy to work out the correct way to frame suggestions to get Lorenz on board, and easier still to work out what was on his mind, whether it be politics or the noble girl of the week....which was why Claude had been blindsided completely when, on a late-night walk by the monastery’s entrance hall, he heard the words “Aw, Gloucester, you flirt, did you pretty yourself up just for me?”
Kudos: 31





	Rendezvous Cat-astrophe

If there was anything in this world Claude prided himself on, it was his skill at evaluating others, honed by years of being othered and having to work out how to bend people to his interests despite that.

What to do, what to say, _how_ to say it, analysing words and facial expressions and personal trivia to deduce an opinion on something before the other person even spoke up, all scraped together with difficulty and pain.

The professor was a bit more of a mystery. Barely any facial expressions, hardly spoke up, and a past shrouded in mystery left him with precious few stepping stones to navigate her.

Lorenz was far easier, motivated mostly by prestige and, arguably, more ambition than was good for him. It was easy to work out the correct way to frame suggestions to get him on board, and easier still to work out what was on _his_ mind, whether it be politics or the noble girl of the week.

...which was why Claude had been blindsided _completely_ when, on a late-night walk by the monastery’s entrance hall, the words “Aw, Gloucester, you flirt, did you pretty yourself up just for me?” drifted up from just down the stairs and around the corner, next to Anna’s usual spot.

...no way. No _way_.

Claude stopped dead in his tracks, trying to listen in.

“Yeah, I missed you, too,” Teach’s voice drifted up by the time Claude had gathered his wits. “I’m happy to see you again. Here, I got you something...”

There was a rustle of paper, presumably Teach taking something out of her pocket and handing it over.

“See? I knew you’d appreciate it,” she said, sounding uncharacteristically happy about it.

That sound, right then... that was a _kiss_, wasn’t it?

Claude tiptoed closer, trying desperately to remember Ignatz’s muttering as he’d studied for his Assassin exam. Which was it again, _toes_ first or _heel_ first for sneaking?...

“You’re _shameless_,” Teach said, laughing. “Fine, then. I guess I don’t have anywhere to be. My lap is yours.”

...now _there_ was a mental image he would be happier not thinking of. Still, he couldn’t _not_ see it with his own eyes.

Teach sounded like she was just below this ledge. It was just a tad too high and wide to see her from here, but if he hopped up on it...

Claude took a deep breath and took that jump -- and misjudged it, landing on the crates below instead.

Come to think of it, Ignatz had _failed_ the exam.

“..._Claude_?” Teach asked, stunned.

...well, _this_ had backfired.

Claude groaned and straightened up, looking at Byleth and... a cat. A rather chubby white-and-grey specimen. He hadn’t _heard_ Lorenz running away.

“What are you doing here?” Teach asked, apparently having recovered slightly.

“Looking for Lorenz, actually,” Claude said, not technically lying. “Where’d he go?”

“I haven’t seen him,” she said.

“I heard you talking to him, though.”

“You... what?” Teach asked, sounding even more baffled now.

...nooot the reaction he’d expected, really.

“...you were saying his _name_, Teach,” Claude said, looking at her.

The professor’s eyes lit up in recognition for a moment before she gestured at the cat in her lap.

“Gloucester is his name,” she said.

“...what,” Claude deadpanned.

“One of the orphans asked me to feed the cats. Gloucester is my favourite, though.”

“I... see,” Claude said, trying to collect himself and failing. “You didn’t exactly... seem like a cat person, I guess, Teach.”

She shrugged, continuing to pet the animal. “Good evening, Claude.”

“Good evening, Teach,” Claude said, nodding at her and walking back to the dorms, a little bruised -- in body _and_ ego.

**Author's Note:**

> My sincerest apologies to anyone who subscribed to me under the assumption I would ever write more than one fic in a row about the same fandom.
> 
> So about that cat-DLC huh.  
According to the online statistics the animals are all named after the characters, and there's a grey-and-white kitty called Gloucester that's around... somewhere. I haven't been able to work out which one it is, they reuse some of the models.  
So this was effectively born from the idea "Who named them this?" and "Byleth seems like the kind of person who would talk to animals because Jeralt told them it puts them at ease", though I'm not sure how much of it is echoing other people and how much is Byleth actually knowing how to talk to animals lol.


End file.
